


Marginalia

by ravensurana



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fluff without Plot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:34:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24443674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravensurana/pseuds/ravensurana
Summary: Excerpts from a multi-world challenge, most of them absolute fluff, about my favorite sword & shield lesbians.
Relationships: Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	Marginalia

**Author's Note:**

> SO
> 
> Ever since social-distancing guidelines have been put into place, my writing group has needed to meet remotely. A couple weeks into this, we were already going stir-crazy, so my beta reader suggested a wild idea: we all write a collaborative story together, on Discord and Google Docs.
> 
> I was pretty wary of the idea. 'All I'm writing right now is Janaya', I told her.
> 
> 'That's okay,' she said, 'we can write a collaborative fanfiction.'
> 
> To our surprise, the idea took off, and the two of us ended up roping in my mother ~~who is a published author working on this between anthologies, don't let anyone tell you fanfic isn't real writing~~ to round things out. And now, two months in, our bizarre Dragon Prince/Stargate SG-1/the lore of various K-pop bands at Hogwarts U fanfiction is over 80k words and half of EXO ships Janaya. I don't know if the full fic will ever see the light of day--although it should because it's _amazing_ \--but I've written a few Janaya scenes that I like too much to leave languishing in a Google Doc only read by three people. So here they are, in all their unedited, unbeta'd, full-of-boy-band-references glory.
> 
> (Also known as: I _promise_ I know how to write fluff, no really)

Just as Amaya had hoped, the snow grew thicker the farther they walked. Junmyeon’s snowpeople still guarded the entrance into the courtyard, and the sight called up fond nostalgia for Amaya. More than a dozen winters with her nephews at the Banther Lodge, leaving the Breach in someone else’s care for a week to celebrate holidays with the little family she had left. Even more distant memories of winters with Sarai, wrestling each other in the snow and laughing themselves breathless.

Janai had never had a snowy winter. Lux Aurea was an oasis in the midst of a desert, and the Breach where they’d both been stationed was nothing but stone and lava. Amaya had wanted to bring Janai to the lodge in six months, hoping beyond hope that Janai’s duties would permit even a single day’s leave. The Lodge was an important part of Amaya’s life, and she’d ached with the thought of sharing it with the woman she loved.

She didn’t know how long it would take to get home. She didn’t know whether Janai would be able to leave Lux Aurea for a long, long time once they made it back. But for now, they were here. Without responsibilities, without anyone demanding their attention.

Quick as a breath, Amaya ducked to the ground, scooped up a handful of snow, and flung it at Janai.

Combat reflexes kicked in faster than thought. Janai’s arms came up to block the crude projectile--and then she sputtered, dusting her face off as the powdery ball exploded all over her. “Amaya!” she said, already laughing, and returned fire with a handful of snow scraped off a windowsill.

The courtyard quickly devolved into a battle scene reminiscent of yesterday’s antics. Amaya and Janai ran about, ducking behind the fountain and the snowpeople, throwing snowballs with deadly accuracy and far-from-deadly results. Amaya once managed to tackle Janai into the snow, shoving a handful of powder down the collar of her robes. In retaliation, Janai flipped Amaya in a gorgeous takedown, long fingers expertly finding the ticklish spot under her ribs.

They collapsed at last against the fountain, leaning on each other and laughing so hard Amaya could hardly see. “You know,” Janai managed to sign at last, her fingers trembling, “this doesn’t make me want to spend a week in a cabin yet. Snow is _cold_.”

“You’ve got a heat-being,” Amaya signed, leaning in to kiss Janai’s flushed cheek. As though in response, Janai’s skin heated beneath her lips, just enough to melt the snow still clinging to her eyelashes. “In fact, I’m not sure I want to return to the Lodge without you. I’ll never have to fill up a hot-water bottle again if I’m sleeping there with you.”

“Is that all you see me as?” Janai asked, amusement shimmering in her eyes, belying the petulant pout on her lips.

Amaya kissed those pouting lips, warmth filling her as she felt them shift into a soft smile. “I could list the things I love about you all day if you’d like, my bonfire on the coldest nights, but I think we should head to the library at some point. We can talk on the way.”

Janai laughed, bumping her nose against Amaya’s. “No good. I’m too tired to move now. We might have to sit like this for a while.”

“Any longer, and we’ll turn into snowpeople just like the ones over there,” Amaya signed, gesturing to Junmyeon’s creations. She squinted critically at them. “Though we’d look quite a bit different, I’m afraid. Neither of them has horns, to begin with.”

Janai sat up, crossing her arms as she glared over at the snowpeople. “You’re right,” she said, dusting herself off, her signs heavy with mock formality. “This is an affront I cannot allow to stand.”

She stood, tugging Amaya along with her, and marched over to the lumpy figures. “Hmmmm, they’re both smiling too much,” she signed, leaning close to inspect them. She plucked pieces of charcoal from the ends of one snowperson’s smile, flashing a grin at Amaya’s laughter before smoothing her own face back into stern solemnity.

Janai pushed the charcoal into place as eyes, then drew exaggerated angry eyebrows above them, glancing back and forth between the snowperson and Amaya as though double-checking her work. “Stop laughing,” she ordered, a smile twitching irrepressibly at the corner of her mouth. “Your portrait isn’t finished yet.”

“My apologies,” Amaya signed, clutching at her sides. “Please, continue.”

With a firm nod, Janai turned back to her masterpiece. She carefully drew a scar along the snowperson’s cheek, then stepped back to admire the effect. “It’s a start,” she allowed.

“One for the history books,” Amaya agreed, wiping tears from her eyes. “But your Radiance, you must allow me to return the favor.”

“But of course!” Janai said, stepping back and gesturing grandly to the second snowperson. Her eyes were crinkling, her cheeks gone pink with the effort of holding back laughter.

Amaya stalked through the courtyard for a few moments, gathering supplies. At last she returned, placing a pair of limp autumn leaves she’d found windswept into the corner of a building onto the snowperson’s face. She pushed two of the charcoal pieces into their centers to hold them in place, admiring the effect--it didn’t look _much_ like the markings around Janai’s eyes and down her cheeks, but the resemblance was there if Amaya squinted.

Two more leaves, rolled up, served for a very floppy pair of pointed ears, and broken-off icicles formed horns. At last, grinning, she unveiled her crowning glory: a bit of discarded paper, like those lurking in Baekhyun’s pockets, which sparkled yellow-gold in the weak winter sunlight. She twisted it around itself and wrapped it about the base of one ‘horn’, tucking it into the snow to hold it in place.

She stepped back with a courtly bow. “Your portrait, my Radiance. May it serve you well.”

As she unbent, Amaya found herself swept into a giddy kiss, Janai’s laughter shaking through her. “Thank you,” Janai signed, pressing kisses to Amaya’s eyelids, her cheeks, the tip of her nose. “I needed this. I didn’t even realize how much.”

“I thought as much,” Amaya signed, smiling softly up at her. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you relax. Since either of us has been able to relax. This was the least I could do for you.”

Janai sighed, twirling Amaya on the icy cobbles. “What did I do to deserve you?” she asked.

Amaya frowned thoughtfully. “Attacked me, thwarted my plans, kidnapped me--” she began to list, and was cut off when Janai pulled her into another laughing kiss, her hands instead finding purchase in the folds of Janai’s robes. “And you won’t let me finish my sentences!” Amaya signed when she pulled away at last, several minutes later.

“Guilty on all charges,” Janai said, beaming. Her cheeks went even pinker, and she ducked her head as though embarrassed. “My little firecracker.”

Amaya grinned, tugging Janai close and pressing their foreheads together for a long moment. “You’re ridiculous,” she signed. “And delightful. And I love you.”

Then she glanced aside at the sun and sighed. “And we should head back to the library, before Chanyeol sends out a search party for us.”

Some of the levity faded from Janai’s features, though Amaya fancied she still looked happier than she had before. Happier than she had in ages, really. “Duty calls,” she signed, placing one last kiss to the back of Amaya’s right hand before lacing it with hers. A point of warmth between them, two heartbeats thumping through Amaya’s palm, slowly fusing into one.

Amaya let out a contented sigh and led them back through the campus to the library building.


End file.
